A blisteringly bright sun rose on Powder Mountain for the fourth day of Gear Test Week and signaled a great day ahead. As the second to last day of testing, skiers were starting to exhibit the signs of leg fatigue—and maybe a few hangovers—but this did not stop them from rallying next year’s toys on […]
2017 Gear Tester Profile: Gavin Cooper
At the Backcountry Gear Test, our skiers trickle in from all over the country. And with that comes ski preferences as far blown as our testers’ geographical locations. We caught up with Gavin Cooper, a Big Sky, Montana resident—and second-place finisher at the Gear Test Beer Pong Championship—to talk skinny skis, couloirs and what, exactly, […]
The Re-Gram: Gear Test Week Day 3 social media highlights
Thursday brought sun to Powder Mountain for the third day of Gear Test Week. Wind overnight recirculated the snow to provide free powder refills to all who ventured out. Sunscreen-adorned testers explored more of what this mountain has to offer—from the legendary “Powder Country” to the flanks of James Peak. The new snow filled in the […]
Powder Mountain Report: Gear Test Week Day 2
Whiteout conditions transitioned to bluebird skis on Tuesday, day 2 of Gear Test Week. Powder Mountain was blanketed with a fresh coating of white overnight and testers were rearing to hit the slopes at the start of the day. Fat skis were the name of the game with all of the powder that is this […]
2017 Gear Test Profile: Caitlin Mitchell and Her Pretty Turn
As the Backcountry Gear Test rolls on, we’re taking a moment to profile those who make the whole shebang work: our testers. First up is Tester newbie Caitlin Mitchell, a Jackson resident, ripping skier and self-proclaimed expert at folding things. We caught up with Mitchell to talk ski background (including a pivotal fall to the face) and to glean some insights into her time at the test thus far.
The Re-Gram: Gear Test Week Day 1 social media highlights
With eight inches of snow accumulating over the course of the first day and 11 inches in the recent 48 hour period, the 2017 Gear Test Week at Powder Mountain, Utah started out with a bang. Gear tests are more fun and more productive when the conditions are good, and day 1 saw testers […]
Gear Test Week Arrives at Powder Mountain
POWDER MOUNTAIN, UTAH The 2017 Backcountry Magazine Gear Test Week kicked off yesterday, with over 200 pair of skis arriving to be tested over the next week. More than 50 testers flocked to Powder Mountain to give Backcountry Magazine their blood, sweat and toenails in pursuit of finding the best of next year’s skis and boots. And when the testers […]
Seventh-annual Splitfest comes to Mt. Baker
BAKER, WASHINGTON This weekend, the seventh-annual Mt. Baker Splitfest will host splitboarding clinics, demos and a raffle and silent auction with proceeds going to the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC).
Traffic Control: The Wasatch Backcountry Alliance hosts a free shuttle day for Little Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH This week the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance announced that on March 12, 2016 they are going to being offering one day of free shuttle service to Little Cottonwood Canyon. Through this event, the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance hopes to gather information about winter recreational transportation issues in the Salt Lake City area.
Director of Wallowa Avalanche Center Dies in Oregon Avalanche
Confirmed in a statement published yesterday by the Wallowa Avalanche Center, Kip Rand, the center’s director, died Tuesday in an Oregon avalanche. Rand, who assumed the role of Wallowa Avalanche Center Director last November, was skiing Chief Joseph Mountain, west of Joseph, Ore., when the avalanche occurred. According to The Observer, Rand, 29, was skiing […]
